What event prompted you to seek WLS? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Vim&Vigour · 11-18-2007, 12:44 PM

oooooooooo

BlayPe · 11-18-2007, 01:43 PM

The first time I remember seeing anything about wls was on the tv show "Trapper John, MD" it must have been in the early 80's and I always thought maybe one day I would get something like that done. I have been big since I was 3, by the time I was 10, people were calling me lady, even thou I have always been short, today i'm 4'11 @ 340. So surgery has always been in the back of my mind, it just wasn't possible before. The insurance I had before wouldn't cover my surgery but my new one does. I started looking into it on the internet and when I told someone at work, they told me about a co-worker that had it done. I couldn't believe it, she looked great, so at the first opportunity I asked her if it was true and she said yes. I'm still in aw, she told me she weighed over 400lbs, now she is probably about 170 but she looks good because she is a tall lady. I asked how she felt about it and she said it was hard but it was the best thing she had ever done, when she said that me, I called the weight loss center that same day and went to the first seminar they had. that was back in April, now I'm waiting for approval and hope it comes in any day now.

bigguy_132 · 11-18-2007, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vim&Vigour

What event in your Life prompted you to go for Weight loss surgery, RNY in particular? No doubt you have been, like me, yoyo dieting and somewhere along the line "enough is enough"?
How did you first hear about surgery, who recommended, what research did you undertake, do you know anybody who had WLS and why now rather than say 3 years ago?

Thanks for taking me right from your beginning...
(my op is due 5th December...!)
Cheers

The event that prompted me the most was becoming diabetic. At sixteen years old I got that news. I knew what it did since my grandpa died from it. I did not want to be in that same boat. At about seventeen or eighteen my doctor suggested it to me but I wanted to do it the natural way. Exercise and cutting back. Of course that never works. I had a family friend who had the surgery done but he did have complications but it has been very successful for him so I decided enough was enough. I was originally going to have Lapband done so my research was limited to what the doctor told me and what I heard at my surgeons seminar. I finally decided to do it and had surgery October 5, 2007 and I have not looked back since. Good luck on your journey and please feel free to ask us anything we are here for each other through thick and thin.

Jeremy

MiladyB · 11-18-2007, 02:12 PM

For me it was an increase in my co-morbidities; sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. I was having a harder and harder time getting through my day. I'm a nurse. After my shift I would be in so much pain I could barely make it to the car. Basically, I just had enough and I knew that ANOTHER diet just wasn't going to work. I had tried that over and over again. I wanted to be able to live life, not just exist.

A coworker had a relative who had wls. We often worked together and she would share with me how well she was doing. That's what planted the seed. I started a lot of research and made an appointment with my pcp. I chickened out at first when things weren't falling into place. Over the next year my health got worse so it was back to pushing and shoving the insurance company. I was finally approved 6 months later after previously being denied. But once that approval came I had to face how bad my health really was. My surgeon wouldn't do the surgery until I could get my labs in better shape. I had to get my blood pressure under better control, my blood sugar under better control and my cholesterol down. I immediately called my pcp and he and I aggressively started working on getting my labs under control....6 months later I finally had my surgery.

Andie · 11-18-2007, 02:28 PM

I first heard about WLS probably when Carnie Wilson had it done and there was a lot of talk about it then. I hadn't had my kids then and thought after I have kids I will look into something like that-since all my diets failed and I kept getting bigger and bigger. After my twins were born I went to my first dr's appt. I asked my PCP about it and he said nope, just excersise and eat less and it will come off. I went home frustrated and didn't know what to do. We moved to TX shortly after that. I continued to research it as much as I could. When we got here I heard that the base performed Gastric bypass and I quickly made an appt with my PCP...I got referred to the program and went through all of the testing. It took about 6 months of testing. They told me I qualified and put me on a waiting list. This was in 2004. Shortyl after I got on the waiting list I got a call saying the list was so long they were changing their guidelines and your BMI had to be under 50 to qualify. Mine was over so I was no longer eligible. I would need to lose the weight and get my BMI under and then get back on the waiting list and the wait was averaging 1 year. I was so frustrated but was determined. I started working out, I got very close. I lost about 19 lbs but was stuck, after time and getting discouraged I gave up. I gained back the 19 plus some! I was sick with myself. I then decided to talk to my PCP and see if I had any options. I explained to him that I didn't qualify for the program on the base and asked to be referred off base. This was now 2006. I started seeing a surgeon and had to do all the testing all over again. Once I was done I saw the surgeon and he he wanted me to lose 10 lbs and then he would set a date. Well my surgeon left the practice and I got assigned to a new surgeon. I saw him and he wanted me to lose 25 lbs. So here we go again. I couldn't fail this time! I wanted it so bad. I wanted more time with my children, I wanted to live fully, I wanted to ride the rides with my kids, I want to be successful and healthy! I started dieting and excersising and slowly lost about 20 lbs. My dr was very impressed and set my date with the promise to lose the extra 5 lbs. Well I did. I ended up losing 32 lbs preop and had my surgery on April 9th 2007. My whole journey took about 5 years of testing, dieting and research. I don't regret it one bit! I have been successful and am seeing the results I want to see. I am loving life, I am going to have more time with my children. In January we are going to Disney and I can't wait to ride the rides with my babies! I am graduating from College next month with a whole new confidence and can't wait to walk across the stage! I did not know anyone who had the surgery until about 6 months before my surgery a lady moved in next door and one day she told me she had had the surgery. She has not been as successful as she cheats a lot and has started gaining her weight back. The only other people I know who have had are the people on here!

Claire-in-Texas · 11-18-2007, 04:56 PM

Vim, for me it was PAIN.

I had such terrible lower back pain, that began to spread down my legs and up my back to my head, and I became stuck in a wheelchair. I couldn't have spinal fusion because I was so overweight. And my only alternative was weight loss surgery (I selected RNY).

After I had lost about 35 lbs, I began physical therapy for my back, and now I am totally pain free and minus 97 lbs (working hard toward Century Club).

That's the really short story!

Best decision of my life, for sure!

Zenomia · 11-18-2007, 04:59 PM

For me, it was when I had failed at yet another diet...re-gained all the weight back and needed to buy the next size up pants. I had depression spirialing so far out of control that I contemplated suicide....all because of my weight and my attitude towards it. I stayed in bed for a week and could barely function, my husband was distraught and I was beside myself in misery. It was THIS brick wall that I slammed up against, that finally decided me. I NEEDED surgery, I wasn't going to survive without it.

I won't ever fall that low again....it was a very frightning time in my life!

always_precious · 11-18-2007, 05:25 PM

I also have back pain but I can say alot of mines contribute from being over weight and also having large hips and buttocks that runs in my family. I can't sleep on my back due to my buttocks being very plump and I can't sleep comfortably on my stomach due to my double d breast. Along with lower back pains I also have shoulder, knee and calf muscle pains. If I sleep on my sides for a long period of time they will start to burn. So mostly when I'm sleep Im in pain and when I wake up I was still in pain. I've decided it was time to do something to make my pain go away.

I also looked forward to this surgery because my oldest son thinks it fine to be a big person. By him only being 5 there's no way you really can explain to him to make him understand that it's not ok to be a big person. The hard way for him to find out is if someone in school jokes or tease him. He is the tallest and biggest pupil in his kindergarden class. And we all know how children express themselves. Doing this will not only help me but I believe this will help my son. I can do better with teaching him how to eat right. My youngest son is on the thinner side so for right now he is ok, but when he get older and if he have these same problems or concerns I would know then how to deal with the situation out of first hand experience.

I wish you much success in your research and with any decision you decide to make. Let no one make the decision for you as you have to deal with the life changes afterwards yourself. Always keep your faith and think positive things.

fisher1000 · 11-18-2007, 05:57 PM

My story is similar to some that others have posted. I too heard about in the early 90's but didn't think I would ever have it. I thought it was something for the really wealthy and I knew I could never afford it. That was when, being younger, I didn't know a whole lot about insurance and as I got older, it was nice surprise to find out that they would cover it. It took me four years from making the decision to actually having it done. I was scared, and I backed out the first time. Like Beth, my comorbidities were getting worse and I was on the verge of being insulin dependent. The best reasoning I did about it was that I would be guaranteed complications later if I did nothing, or take the risk of a possible complication now. (Someone else has said this same thing more succinctly than me on the forum recently...) I took the risk, and every day since the surgery I've been glad I did it. It's the bravest thing I've ever done, but we have a nine month old, and I want to be here to enjoy her life. I don't want her to be embarrassed by me as she gets older, and I don't want to be inactive with her. I want her to have as normal a childhood as I can offer, and I couldn't do that at 400 pounds. Even almost 70 pounds so far have made a huge difference...I can get down on the floor and play and get up without crying. I can walk around the block (several times...) I can run after her as she gets into everything. Don't get me wrong...I'm still exhausted after a day with her, but because we played and had a good time, not because I'm fat and can't handle it.

I would do it again in a second...and if I had it to do over, I would have done it YEARS ago.

-Mike

cuppycup · 11-18-2007, 06:04 PM

My brother told me he was worried about my health when he came to visit, and asked if I'd researched gastric bypass. I enrolled in a pre-surgical program the following week.